Preview: Real Salt Lake at LA Galaxy

SANDY, Utah (Friday, September 29, 2017) – Real Salt Lake (12-14-5, 41 points, West #5) continues its 2017 MLS Cup “Playoff Push” with an 8:30 p.m. MT Saturday night kickoff in Southern California at StubHub Center against longtime Western rival LA Galaxy. WATCH the game LIVE on KMYU (2.2. air, 12 satellite, 643 Comcast HD) with Brian Dunseth and David James on the call, or LISTEN with Bill Riley and Jay Nolly on ESPN700 AM.

Unbeaten in 10 of its last 12 overall since a statement-making 6-2 win over the Galaxy on July 4, RSL improved to 12-11-3 overall in its new era under Head Coach Mike Petke with last week’s 2-0 home win over Seattle Sounders. Playmaker Albert Rusnák assisted on Jefferson Savarino’s second-consecutive game-winning goal as RSL ascended above the “playoff line” and into fifth place in the West. Savarino and Joao Plata assisted on Luke Mulholland’s insurance goal, while GK Nick Rimando made four saves to earn career regular-season shutout 137 – extending his all-time MLS record – also his 101st clean sheet for the Claret-and-Cobalt.

Saturday’s meeting with the Galaxy is the third of the year between the clubs, as LA won 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium back on March 18 prior to the July 4 fireworks at StubHub Center, which saw RSL establish a new club mark for goals scored on the road. Savarino blasted home a pair of second-half goals – his first career “brace” – while Rusnák, Captain Kyle Beckerman, FW Yura Movsisyan and Ecuadoran international Joao Plata each also found the back of the net.

RSL’s four second-half goals matched an overall club mark – while simultaneously setting a new record for road goals in a half – and the result made RSL the first team in Major League Soccer history to both win and lose games by a 6-2 scoreline in the same season. All-time, RSL now owns a 7-10-1 road mark against the Galaxy, with just a -1 goal differential (30 goals for / 31 allowed), the Utah side’s most wins in its 13-year history away from home.

The link to the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy is available HERE.

Last weekend’s 2-0 win over Seattle improved RSL to 8-4-4 at home this season, and saw FW Jefferson Savarino move to six regular-season goals on the season, one behind the three-way “Golden Boot” triumvirate of MF Albert Rusnák alongside FW Joao Plata and FW Yura Movsisyan, each with seven goals. Rusnák’s 13 assists thus far this year – with three games remaining – sets a new standard for the second-highest single-season total in club history (surpassing the 12 set in 2016 by Plata and 2014 by Javier Morales) – and sits just two helpers shy of matching Morales’ club-record 15 assists in 2008.